10th November 2019, AM

I'm will I like my name is Matt. If I'm not said hello to you personally, then I'm sorry. I didn't get to that. I'm one of the leaders here at her City. It's my great privilege to get to speak to you this morning Angela. I wanted to start by asking you if you have ever been I'm turn down a wee wee is a church were funded almost entirely from giving of people who come here week after week, but I've been busy applying for funding from other places and there is one huge. I'm Church in America who supported them over 500 new church start time. We pray substantial cash and I thought we were pretty much exactly there a cup of tea. I am I found their form online. Everyone has their own form to apply for their money. I found their form and I had like nine hundred boxes of the feeling. It's alright, my long long paragraphs about why they should love us and why were fantastic and why we should get their money they came back to us and they said can we have some more details? Please? Tell us about this. What are you doing about that and I was feeling like we are onto a winner here. I'm some money is coming our way. I really thought we were going to get it then we had absolute radio silence for about 3 months and eventually around 2:19 a.m. Is like hello is is anything happening here and they told us unfortunately allocated all of their support for other churches and they done that this was like a while back that done that all the way through until mid 2020 so bad luck, but nothing for you and offense like what you're doing but no money and it's funny how that feels. Doesn't it when you when you're turned down it's hard not to feel her. It's hard not to feel defensive. It's hard not to feel like that is not fair. If that's the way they're going to treat us, I'm never going to bother applying for that sort of thing ever again. Now, that's a relatively low stakes are really high. What about when you are entering a country and you get your passport out and you presented to the guy at the door when you get turned down there when you're in with the bank manager and you're pleading just a little bit longer to repay this lane or what about what about when you're going to ask that girl out after months and months of watching on from the side. It's time to pull the trigger.

We all hate to be turned away. Don't worry. Is that disappointment? The the heartbeat anger I think often times and then defensiveness that kind of comes afterwards a shame of being turned down where strange kind of culture for that one way, but it can be really quite shameful to be turned down and makes us no one to put ourselves forward in the first place. We as a church have been working our way through. I'm the Gospel of Luke, which is one of the stories in the Bible. I want of the talents of Jesus his story. We've been taking it piece-by-piece. I'm looking at each section thinking about what it has to say what it tells us about Jesus what it tells us about John and what it tells us about how we should live here and today because these things really do make a real difference in today. We're just moving on to the next section of that story and it's a really short little bit we're going to read but it has to do with this idea of acceptance and rejection and it has things to say to us or so this morning and she is going to come and take us through. We're in the Luke. I in chapter 18 and verse 15 and we can put the words up on the screen. But if you get one of these billion Bibles you can find this on page 1052 on page 1052. And it's chapter 18 A big number 18 and then verse 15 a little 15. Fancy people. We're also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them when the disciples saw this they rebuked them but Jesus called the children to him and said let the children come to me and do not hinder them for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these truly. I tell you anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. Thank you for sure a little reading. Doesn't seem to you I'm say very much. But I think it's got some significant things to teach us. So it starts with this idea of kissing babies, which is kind of feels like a politician acts doesn't it? Jesus's out kissing babies like politicians are on their election Trail. He's not really easily when to place his hand on them is so that he can bless them. You see that in Mark's gospel which tells the same story is laying his hands on them. I'm blessing them and it's it's babies on the review hearing that word is going to be important. So I'm just spend a little bit of time convincing you this is quite a specific word. The word is baby's breath off and it refers to do anything from, pre-birth child. If you know the Christmas story pressure remember in the Christmas story that Jesus is 4Runner with a guy called John and when the guy called John is inside his Is Tommy still he he he runs into this Jesus and he leaps inside the tummy and that is called a baby in this way using this same word and then a little bit later on his old Christmas story this week on The Christmas Story. The shepherds are send to look for a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes right after Jesus is born same where they're so we talkin about really young little things here. So you got these babies that Jesus is being asked to blast but then I was working on my rhyming signs. You've got these people hindering Kinder. You've got the disciples the disciples getting in the way right some the disciples Bay rebukes them. He says, they told them off your babies to Jesus. Just get away from me. We don't have room for that. We don't have space for that. We don't have time for that. Why disciples wife who doesn't like to kiss a baby? What are the disciples sending these babies away while I think their there? They're thinking the Jesus is far too important for this sort of thing. So far too important to be busy kissing.

Be my imagine the disciples are also thinking that perhaps day are a little bit too important for this cuz you know what Jesus doing, he's walking around with his disciples showing them how to live in teaching them how to live in I wonder if they're thinking it is so much more important that Jesus tells me how to do this important than that happens. If you get this really surprising welcome, Jesus calls them back. He overruled his disciples. He says let the little children come to me.

Little children here to slightly different word. It's a broader world than those babies we started with but it still has enough range to include those really young ones. I'm back to the Christmas story again. I'm that guy John that 4Runner will he is he circumcised on the eighth day which is kind of the Jewish tradition and on the 8th day he's described as one of these little children does the word that means very very open means very very young children. And this will be this will be important later. Yeah, there is I prepared better than I remembered on the 8th day. They came to circumcise the child the same little child world named Memphis father Zacharias. Surprising welcome is the same babies and view people bringing them to Jesus disciples like get lost in Jesus says bring them back. Let them come to me. He disagrees with his disciples, but I missed it because Jesus is not just rejecting his disciples view, but he's rejecting the view of the world all of that day. You see children. Sorry Kidz, Bop and those days children were totally unimportant. Like I If you if you can work and if you can breathe then you don't matter. That's basically how works there is there is nobody out buying a pony for their three-year-old in this day that is just not have that Society works these these children really are really unimportant rather than kind of I guess today. We we think to a new client special sometimes but not not so much back. Then Jesus is rejecting the disciples view instead. He tells us the kingdom of God. He says belongs to such as these more literally says all such made up of people like this is the kingdom of God. What does kingdom of God thing on this is the realm where God is honored as king. It's the realm where there is blessing and goodness and rightness is the realm where things are being put right it's around where there's a head for a perfect and forever future. Is kingdom of God is somewhere you wanted to be I somewhere that's breaking into the world in Jesus and through Jesus as he walks the Earth. Start about being turned down think about being turned down. Well, you don't want to be turned down from this kingdom of God. You don't want someone to turn you away from that Kingdom. And Jesus tells us. Right here that this kingdom is composed.

I'm such as these cute baby pictures and it won't say aw. That's so cute. It was actually really easy to find cute baby photography. Just so you know, the internet has Infinity cute baby pictures on a cute babies are cute, but they are unimportant. They are insignificant. They are helpless the disciples don't think they are worth Jesus's time at all. Neither. Does anyone else never shocked? The disciples are thinking that way nobody thinks these babies are worth Jesus's time. But there's one more thing. Jesus has to say here. He says it is only. people like this unless you want one of these babies. He says you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. The disciples a busy Turning Away these babies or Jesus is busy turning way everyone except the babies. Like literally turning me everyone except there is everyone he won't receive the kingdom. He went welcome the kingdom like babies and he's really emphatic the original language here. It's as bad as it could be as like by no means is it possible to enter? This Kingdom of blessing which walking about unless you come like one of these babies. Okay, so quick recap. What do we see? We see. Jesus is welcoming these insignificant one sees these babies who don't match of the helpless ones. He tells his disciples do not hinder people like this from coming and he tells us then but this is the only way to come. Say what? We like to think when we read the Bible and I think that's an interesting story from 2,000 years ago what the question is, so I want for us here and now today and I think the first thing this says to us is that Jesus won't turn you down. A Jesus Y and turn you down. Like are you are you no one special where there a lot of ordinary people in this regard many significant types. But Jesus has time for each one of us are seeing the West Wing Who's In The West Wing good show about presidents in the u.s. In the West Wing the line. You hear from the president again. And again again is what's next. What's next? What's next? He's always on to the next big crisis the next important person the next big meeting and you can think the God is like that you can think God is dealing with all the crises in the universe. He must be sorry busy going. What's next. What's next? What's next? How could he have time for little old me? He's always got bigger fish to fry, but amazingly. I can promise you that Jesus the king of the whole universe will make time for you. Even if you're unimportant. In this world is Jesus one turn you down. Do you have nothing to add nothing to bring nothing valuable? I mean, there's some pretty gifted people in this room. You heard the van this morning, they can really play there's some cool things people can do sometimes it's a bit intimidating to find these classy people around you but Jesus is not interested in what you can bring to the table. There's nothing truly useful that you can bring to the one who made the stars is there.

But Jesus won't turn you down. If you feel like you're helpless you feel like you're in trouble in need the people around you might look okay, then I look fine on the service might tell you cuz the British way, how are you fine? How are you? Fine? You know the sky is actually falling they're bleeding out fine. That's that's kind of how it how it is here. But you are surrounded by people who know what it is to be helpless. As you know, what it is to be in need to know what it is to reach the end of your own resources. And that's just the sort of people that Jesus welcomes people who desperately need help from outside. A Jesus won't turn you down. Those babies were nothing special. They had nothing to offer. They would just a little bundles of helplessness and dependencies babies. Simply can't survive without help. They just can't survive without help. They are weak vulnerable needy and dependent if you had a baby. You know how true this is how complete and utter their dependency is if you if you haven't had a baby. I want to let you in on a little secret. What does a baby do for you? Here's what a baby does for you. They will wake you up loss. They will cry. Belgium and food in the vomit on you the poop and then if you're lucky they might sleep just for a little bit. And then rinse and repeat until you go crazy or thereabouts. That's kind of how where do you get back from? Tiny babies know a lot. Particularly to start with and to such as these Jesus says the kingdom belongs that the picture he chooses. For the ones he takes as his people. That's the picture he chooses for the ones that he welcomes in. That's the picture he uses for the people. He received helpless. dependent useless to such as these Jesus says Jesus kingdom is not a kingdom for winners. It's not a kingdom for champions. It's a kingdom as a helpless in the dependent. So whoever you are, no matter how impressive you are. Grasping Point hear. Jesus will not turn you down. That's not what he's looking for. It's not how it works.

So if you've never gone to Jesus, if you've never dared to go to Jesus, if you've had this fear of going to him and being turned down, I want you to hear him say today the kingdom of God belongs to people such as these helpless.

Dependent needy people like you and like me. That's who he welcomes. That's who you accept. So are you ready? Are you ready to come to him like that? Maybe you've never done it, but he is ready to welcome you he's ready to welcome you today. Going to explore that looks like when I talk to the person you came with they'll be able to help you or you can talk to me, but I will encourage you to do something about it today because Jesus won't turn you down. But he's also telling his disciples more here. He's telling them in the way. The disciples are trying to keep the babies away from Jesus that say you're not worth his time when those much as disciples anyway. Who is it? Perhaps that you think is too insignificant for Jesus. Who who are you in danger of pushing away off? And I think most of us would probably say no one I think we would probably imagine that we don't push anyone away. We don't keep any one back. But what about the people we push away simply but never offering them the opportunity to consider Jesus. how we get at Weisman Sunday as We Gather in the evenings, one of the things we've been thinking about is how old of us can be engaged in sharing this hope that we have in Jesus with the world around us in ordinary ways than one of the things we talked about in this journey is the simple Act of noticing the people around us each day, sickly people who might seem less significant people who might seem less important the lady of the check have the guy who delivers your parcel the security guy the front desk who waves you in each morning the person serving you your lunch when you get to the front of the queue, Each of those people is precious to Jesus while we can soften treat me like slot machines write I pulled the handle here you give me what I need. That's how it works. You're here to complete a transaction take my card. Give me my parcel scan. My bad hand me my food when we treat them that way when we dehumanize them when we do have any time for them is like saying the Jesus doesn't have any time for the mother. Did they not significance? I want to challenge you this week try and be alert to notice the people around you particular people who are insignificant. You're mine are trying to notice them be careful to see them as people. Just me there or I. Say hello. Imagine what it'd be like to live in their shoes for a moment. Wonder what their story might be. Why not pray a quick silent prayer for them. Is there a way you can show them love a simple way? Let them come to Jesus turn hinder them. So sometimes we handle people by not noticing them at all by kind of dehumanizing them. I think it was just a cog in a giant machine other times. We hinder people by deciding for them and I'm going to accept this stuff. So we never give them the opportunity will here's what we have to remember when that is coming into our heads God chooses to save just the most unlikely people the most unlikely people. I mean look at me. Or look at you. Or look at the person next to you. He takes pleasure in confounding our expectations about who might change about who he might call. If you think back to the very earliest Church oppression of the story the Geico Paul his day job was killing people who followed Jesus. I mean don't call him and change them and use them at the heart of his church has that for somebody unexpected. It was so unexpected the other early followers at a hard time when he showed up to do our aren't you the one who kills us? Oh, sorry, do I shut they can hardly believe it was possible. But God loves to choose the unexpected one. You think is impossible the one you think there's no chance. The super sciency guy. You're hardcore atheist. The follower of another religion the person you wouldn't dare. Imagine could change their ways the coolest kid in the school. I'm like the coolest kid in the school the coolest kid in the school Kanye West. Unlikely people right don't hinder others by choosing for them that they do not want to come to Jesus. It's not your call it snow Michael. Jesus is ready to welcome. Absolutely anybody and we've often been astounded by Hugh he chooses to call. So Jesus isn't going to turn you down. Don't get in the way.

Last thing in this is the really sobering point that Jesus ends on. The only way to Jesus is to come like these babies. Insignificant helpless dependent anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it never.

So if you think you are someone who is significant if you think you've got something to offer. That is not the way to Jesus that is a dead end. If we if we Dare To Think Jesus could really use someone like me you'll be glad to have me in his car pulling out of nothing with just a word. He really doesn't need my help with the gardening. I would rather think Jesus is going to be rather pleased with me. I'm quite a catch. Powerful is cuz he knows us through and through he he knows the truth about who we really are. He knows the things that we hide from everyone else. We've got absolutely nothing to offer that could open the way to Jesus. And anyone she will not receive the kingdom of God like a child in this health lesson this actually dependent way anybody would receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. I was thinking of this one's thinking do we really think about it and sells this way as winners as I'm Superstars as worthy of a it's not free Scottish is it I'm not it's not very Scott. This is not very British Affair the most of them by myself this way is that I am nearly adequate. Sometimes that's probably about as far as we get bragging inside ourselves really if we do project even if we do protect winner on the outside of us want everyone else to see us as a winner. I think inside an honest moments all of us know that we are not winners. We don't add up to a whole lot. We know that special we're not going to set the Heather on fire. Well, good news. Jesus welcomes people like that. That's who's looking for.

I think the danger for us here is that we can give other people the impression. That's what he's looking for. We can give other people the impression the coming to Jesus has anything to do with being rather nice, really? been pretty good cuz we present ourselves to others with more polish than we really deserve you and you start an insta filter that you put over your real life before you show it to others. Then ourselves better or at least cover up some of the dark splotches and patches. Well that might give them the impression that they want to come to Jesus don't need to sort themselves out for a cell need to make themselves a bit more presentable. If if say a church looks to be filled with Shiny Happy People proud of do-gooders who put on a pretty hot performance. Will you could see how that undermines Jesus is declaration that the only way to him is like a helpless to pendant. Hope less child tells the world a different story and that is why I think it's so important as a church that we keep on aiming for being a transparent and an old fence at Community where we don't expect one another to have it together.

Instead we recognize that we're all helpless.

We just coming to Jesus for a rescue. And after I rescue I would just working through a whole world of debris. Can I left over everything doesn't just magically get sorted. I'm going to try and love each other through the mess because we are all in the same boat.

Let's not kid ourselves. There can be huge pressure in churches to try and do it. Alright, try and get it. Alright, try and have it all together. And certainly to be absolutely sure to tell no one when you mess it up, right?

Have you read your Bible today? Have you had your daily quiet time If we're honest, I think we all feel that sort of pressure. Don't we? Who in this room doesn't have something small or big that you would prefer it was covered up from other people.

but if we're all just these helpless babes if we're all just rescued by a loving savior who accept no-hopers With nothing no credit to us. And we can tell the world the true story of our salvation.

So hope City. I want us to be a true community of Grace. I want to be a place where you don't have to put your your game face on for Sunday. I wear when somebody else messes it up. We don't jump on them. You're somebody walks in late and we will look man and taught taught taught that is exactly what we're not looking for.

So instead I challenge you to be yourself. Be real be hopeless helpless and useless. Because that is exactly the sort of people that Jesus welcomes into his kingdom.

Going to take just 60 seconds for you now to think about what Jesus said and what he's getting it and wonder what it has to say to you and then I'll pray and we'll move on but just 60 seconds to think right now.